Katherine (Katie) Courtney is a Senior Statewide Support Attorney in the Disability Advocacy Program at Empire Justice Center, a role she returned to in 2024 after a distinguished career spanning legal aid, federal adjudication, and the federal courts. Admitted to the New York State Bar in 2007, Katie has served in the Empire Justice Center’s Disability Advocacy Program, as an Attorney Advisor at the SSA’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review, and as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Her dual JD/MSW from the University at Buffalo equips her with both the legal and social work perspectives that define effective, holistic disability advocacy. She is a past president of the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys and the Foundation of the Monroe County Bar Association.